The Mafia and His Obsession: Part 1 (Tainted Hearts 4)

Who are you? I screeched in my head as my heart continued to beat in an usual symphony.

He cocked his head to the side when my silence was all he got. Letting my hair go, he stood up straight again and took a step back.

The moment was broken, and suddenly, he took all the warmth away.

I was left feeling cold again—empty. I was left craving more of the warmth he had given me.

Shaking my head, my eyes went to my lap, and I took a deep breath. This was wrong. It was so wrong, and Valentin would hurt me so bad if he ever found out.

And he would. He was going to find out. No, my battered mind screamed. No, my broken heart wept.

My thoughts reeled, and I shuddered even before the pain could happen.

My bodyguard, Igor—he was going to tell Valentin.

While I was lost in this man’s eyes, lost in this moment that brought me warmth, I had forgotten that Igor was standing there by the door—watching everything, watching us.

And now I had to bear the pain of looking into another man’s eyes other than my husband.

My fingers twisted in the fabric of my dress, my nails digging into my thighs as my stomach rolled, and I had to fight the urge of throwing up.

How could I forget? How could I have been so reckless and careless?

Confusion clouded my mind, and I glared at my lap. Stupid girl. It’s all your fault now when Valentin hurts you. You have no one to blame but yourself.

From the corner of my eyes, I saw his feet moving away. I didn’t dare to look up. Maybe he was leaving.

The sudden thought caused my heart to squeeze, and my chest ached—it hurt. I pressed my nails deeper into my skin, trying to stop my rains of thoughts.

I wanted to lurch forward and stop him from leaving.

Stop! I squeezed my eyes shut.

Seconds turned into minutes, and slowly my heart started to calm. The crazy, dangerous melody turned to a dull beat.

My breathing turned to normal, and my chest didn’t feel so tight anymore. When he was close to me, it felt like he had brought havoc to my heart and mind.

But now…everything felt empty again.

My eyes burned because I wasn’t sure what I wanted. The chaos he brought with him or the emptiness I felt in the darkness.

Suddenly, something dropped on my lap and I jumped, my thoughts screeching to a halt.

I froze with fear, and my eyes snapped open. I looked up, and my throat closed, my lips turning dry.

My heart did the same pitter patter dance again. The same melodious beat. The storm of emotions hit me hard, and I could only stare into his brown eyes, mesmerized yet again. Completely and utterly swept by his presence.

Just like before, he held me captive.

He hadn’t left.

He nodded at me and then at my lap. Confused, I followed his gaze.

A notebook and a pen rested there.

I touched the beige papers with gentle fingers, holding it with my thumb and forefinger. After staring at the items for a good five seconds, I looked up again.

Our gazes met and locked.

And then he smiled—a true smile—and it met his eyes beautifully.

My eyes moved down to his smiling lips. He looked beautiful—even more handsome and so different when smiling.

“Talk.”

One word and my eyebrows furrowed. The man nodded toward the notebook and pen again.

“Talk,” he repeated, looking at me expectantly.

Breaking our eye contact, I looked down at my lap again. My heart danced again, my body no longer cold.

He wants me to speak?

He wanted me to speak—not by using my voice. But with pen and paper.

Even though I was someone filled with silence, he still wanted to hear my thoughts. He still wanted me to talk.

I didn’t think my heart could get any crazier. But it did.

This man…he didn’t realize what he had just given me.

He didn’t want my silence—he wanted my words.

So I would give him my words.

Because he had earned them. With one simple action, he had earned them.

Taking the pen in my hand, I held it to the paper.

Chapter 14

Viktor

My imagination was nothing now that I was this close to her. So close that I could see the green speckles in her doe hazel eyes. She looked up at me, her eyes wide with a hidden innocence, some naivety and a hint of fire. They were the most beautiful eyes I had ever seen.

I bent down a little, until our faces were mere inches away. Her breathing quickened, a sharp intake of breath that told me she was affected by my presence. Our first touch—my skin against hers, she gasped, her eyes fluttering.

My fingertips tingled at the sensation as I dragged my fingers down her cheek and the top of her neck, where the high neckline stopped. She licked her lips nervously before biting on them softly. Her eyes were still on mine, as if she couldn’t take them away.